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Authorities in Hong Kong have taken into custody 13 people on suspected charges of manslaughter related to last week’s devastating fire, amidst increasing criticism over the arrests of civilians demanding responsibility.

Search Continues as Death Toll Climbs

Emergency services persisted in combing through the seven-building complex of the Wang Fuk Court residential area in Tai Po on the start of the week, days after the city’s deadliest fire in seven and a half decades. The number of fatalities reached 151 and is expected to rise higher as the search goes on. Approximately forty people are still missing.

Renovations Linked to Cause of Blaze

The housing complex, housing almost five thousand people, had been undergoing major refurbishment that have been associated with the fire’s cause. In the aftermath, anger has escalated over reported previous safety breaches by the construction company working at the site and lax enforcement of standards, fuelled by revelations that residents had been complaining about the work for a year.

Those Detained Include Company Directors

On the afternoon of Monday, authorities said the anti-graft agency had arrested thirteen people over the tragedy so far, including the directors and an engineering consultant of a contracting firm, and had “immediately begun comprehensive investigation along the lines of involuntary manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Revealed

A top administrator stated that 7 of 20 tested specimens of the scaffolding net used around the buildings did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Preliminary checks had found materials were compliant, but the spokesperson said the cheaper, substandard netting had been put in areas difficult to access in order to evade detection, describing it as a “shameful act”.

“They just wanted to make money at the expense of human lives,” the official stated.

Citizens Detained Amid Calls for Accountability

As allegations of safety violations mount, alongside revelations that government authorities had issued several seemingly unenforced warnings, the public have asked why no officials have yet been held accountable. Conversely, two civilians were allegedly arrested by national security police.

A person, identified as a Hong Kong student, was detained over an online petition that made “four requests” for assured assistance for the victims and responsibility for those at fault, including any corrupt or culpable public servants.

Local media said the student was detained for “inciting disaffection”. Police did not confirm the arrest, saying only that they “will take actions according to actual circumstances and in compliance with the legal framework”.

News outlets also covered the detention of a former district councillor.

Official Response on Detentions

Asked about the detentions, the security chief said there had been “misleading statements online” that were aimed to threaten national security. “Therefore, we must take necessary steps, including law enforcement measures,” the secretary told a media briefing. “Operational details cannot be disclosed as they involve national security.”

Public Reaction and Comparisons Drawn

On local online platforms, people condemned the detention of citizens. “State security must be prioritised even if the victims are still buried in the structure,” said a comment.

Some commenters drew comparisons to the Chinese mainland. “The mainland, these crimes are called ‘creating disturbances’,” said one commenter. “They are typically punished with severe penalties. Stability trumps everything.”

A different user said: “Since we are following the mainland’s approach, by dealing with the person who asks questions, no one will dare to ask, and thus Hong Kong’s governance will have no issues.”

Heightened Sensitivity and Community Response

The arrests came after advisories by national security authorities that they would crack down on anyone deemed to be using the tragedy to incite “hostile” feelings.

Prior to the detentions, officials had already begun showing heightened sensitivity to the community response. Since the quelling of earlier protests, civilian gatherings have been strictly regulated. In the days following the fire, community volunteers rapidly established aid operations, with many individuals using cars and transit to bring in mountains of clothes, food and other necessities for the survivors.

Nevertheless, by evening, officers were patrolling the vicinity, and government officials soon assumed control from the volunteer organisers.

The petition over which the student was reportedly detained was launched on Friday evening. Its “four points” echoed the language of past protest movements but did not advocate systemic reform.

The individual informed reporters that he was only “putting forward fundamental requests”.

“Should these suggestions are deemed seditious or ‘transgressive’, then I believe I cannot foresee the consequences of any action any more, and I can only do what I sincerely think is correct,” he said.